ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 278104
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| Date: | Saturday 23 May 1942 |
| Time: | 10:30 |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire MkIa |
| Owner/operator: | 53 OTU |
| Registration: | X4588 |
| MSN: | 1197 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Gwaun Nant=Ddu -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Llandow |
| Return. |
Details:
This incident must be the best well known Spitfire crash within the whole of the Southern half of Wales. It is also one of the hardest to find with the onslaught of time, the first time I visited the site, the impact crater was still very much evident along with the remains of the aircraft which too have diminished over time and visitors!
PLEASE IF YOU THE READER VISIT. LEAVE ONLY POPPIES AND MEMORIES. TAKE ONLY PHOTOGRAPHS!
Much has been written about this crash and its pilot. In this account I have included the colourful history of the aircraft.
X4588 first flew on the 30th of September 1940 and built at the Eastleigh works. She was taken on RAF strength and fitted out at 39 MU on the 2nd of October 1940. Her first squadron was 609 squadron at RAF Warmwell on the 8th of October 1940 and into a hectic environment!
At the outbreak of war, the squadron was called up to full-time service and initially served on defensive duties in the North of England. In May 1940, the squadron moved to RAF Northolt and flew over the Battle of Dunkirk during Operation Dynamo. Around this period, one third of the squadron's pilots were lost over a period of three days.
During the Battle of Britain, 609 Squadron moved to RAF Middle Wallop as part of Fighter Command's efforts to defend the south coast of England, west of London. There was also an advanced flight based at RAF Warmwell. At this time, one third of the RAF's front-line squadrons were from the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. During August 1940 609 Squadron destroyed 46 enemy aircraft, however, by now almost all the pre-war auxiliary pilots were dead or missing.
X4588 flew on the first operational patrol on the 11th of October, the pilot was P/O Ogilvie who flew her on quite several occasions and then on the 28th of November as part of ‘A’ Flight, Blue section. It was on this day that the famous Luftwaffe fighter ace Helmut Wick was shot down by two pilots of 609 squadron they were Sgt Klein and F/L John Dundas. Dundas was in turn shot down by Wick’s wingman who was chased off by blue section. ‘A’ flight was scrambled again on the 2nd of December to patrol “Worth Matravers, angels ten”. Spitfires of ‘B’ flight encountered an enemy twin engine, twin tailed bomber and engaged without seeing the outcome. One of the 609 Spitfires was fired upon by local AAA batteries and very nearly brought down when attacking the E/A, which the AA Battery claimed! News arrived that the E/A came down on Thorney Island near Southhampton. X4588 suffered cat’ 3 on landing after another intense day with the squadron, happily without injury to the pilot.
After repair, the next squadron was 129, arriving on the 22nd of June 1941. No. 129 Squadron was reformed on 16 June 1941 at RAF Leconfield equipped with Spitfires.
As a result of the Indian government raising large sums of money through its sale of War Bonds a number of squadrons within the RAF were given names of Indian cities and provinces in recognition of this. No. 129 became No. 129 (Mysore) Squadron being named after Mysore province in southwest India. The squadron's badge, the Ghunda Berunda of Mysore, also reflects this association. She only stayed here until the squadron were equipped with the MkVb. On the 29th of September X4588 finally came to 53 OTU.
Donald Carruthers was the only son of Perry Davis Carruthers and Stella B. Abbey Carruthers, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He was a active sportsman and won many trophies at university in Hockey, Rugby, Track and Field, Basketball and Swimming. He completed two years in the faculty of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba. When he enlisted with the RCAF in 1941he was first sent to No.2 ITS at Regina and then No.14 EFS at Portage La Prairie, flying the Tiger Moth.
Upon completion of basic training, he was posted to No.11 SFTS on the 10th of October 1941, by the 30th, he was awarded his flying badge. During December he and the other intake were posted to No.1 ‘Y’ Depot, at Halifax to await embarkation to Britain where he finally arrived at Bournemouth on the 10th of February 1942. Next posting was to No.17 Pilots Advanced Flying Unit at RAF Calveley in Cheshire for training on the Miles Master on the 13th of April. On the 28th, he arrived at 53 OTU at Llandow for Spitfire training.
On this date 80 years ago, Donald was flying X4588 and practicing formation flying. The weather began to change, with low cloud now covering the ground. Unknown to Donald he had become separated from his fellow trainees in thick cloud.
Back at base the other two Spitfires returned and reported X4588 missing. Due to the cloud, they did not know exactly where they were when they lost Donald, the alarm was raised to the local Police forces and other military units within the area of operations.
Nine days passed when on the 1st of June, a Mr Jones who worked for the Cardiff Corporation Water works (as it was called then), had made one of his regular checks on the water gauges on the mountain tops of the Brecon Beacons and the one on the top of Gwaun Nant-Ddu. He had come across a plane wreck which was half buried and completely smashed to pieces within one of the flat bogs just below the long ridge that runs all the way up to the lower slopes of Corn Ddu. Mr Jones returned down the mountain to Cwm Taff, 3 miles away. Here near his parked transport, there still is to this day an isolated public phone box, it was here he alerted the local Police who were at the time stationed at Llwyn Onn.
The Police arrived at Mr Jones’s location and asked if he would guide them to the crash which he did. The mountain sides here are extremely steep and with the day fading, took them to the site. The Police were able to remove Sgt Carruthers charred body from the wreckage and taken back down the mountain to Cwm Taff. Here a guard from the 21st Infantry Training Wing at Brecon was waiting. They were commanded by Lt Willcox, who also asked Mr Jones to take them to the aircraft. Mr Jones however, and understandably, refused for a third trip up there! (Those who have climbed this mountain would understand his situation!) Add insult to injury the weather closed in again with thick mist covering the ground and as I have personally found, it is virtually impossible to find the site!
At 15:30 hours Lt Willcox reported that it was out of the question to mount a guard at the site, a officer from 78 MU arrived and he too made the decision not to make the climb. HQ agreed not to put anyone in more danger with the weather. When the weather improved two days later a guard was mounted. Sgt Carruthers body was taken back to RAF Llandow and later buried in the Units plot at Llantwit Major where sadly he was not the first and certainly wouldn’t be the last.
When personnel of 78 MU investigated the ‘Reason for the crash’ on the FM1180 form, it was deemed that.
“Thought to have crashed through a combination of bad weather and a small error in navigation.”
Donald’s Spitfire had plummeted into the ground at speed which created a large crater exploded which would point to the fact that he had become disorientated when in cloud and before he could adjust, he struck the ground.
Crew:
Sgt Donald Perry Carruthers 20yo R/100418 RCAF. Pilot. Killed.
Burial:
Llantwit Major Cemetery. Section C. Grave 26.
Wreckage:
Quite extensive for an aircraft of this size. Unfortunately, it has been a victim of Magpie’s over the years and the crater has now become a small bog. I gathered the wreckage together in 1986 to form a cairn with the aim of preserving the wreckage and making it obvious to those who steel for their own gain. Often those artifacts end up in the rubbish bin after the novelty has worn off. On my recent visit in 2013 I was thrilled to see how visitors have added stones to form a small memorial cairn.
Additional Information:
On 21 October 1940 the squadron became the first to achieve 100 confirmed enemy aircraft kills. Boasting 9 'aces', pilots F/L Frank Howell (8 confirmed kills), F/L John Dundas (9 confirmed kills), P/O David Moore Crook (6 confirmed kills) and P/O John Curchin (7 confirmed kills) were among several awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for their efforts during the battle. A Spitfire that flew with 609 Squadron during this period, number X4590, is now preserved at the RAF Museum, Hendon. Another 609 Squadron Spitfire, number R6915, is preserved in the Imperial War Museum, London. This aircraft scored victories while piloted both by John Dundas and another 609 Squadron ace, Noel Agazarian.
Dennis Armitage was posted from 266 in May 1941 and was awarded the DFC (gazetted 18th July 1941) for his service with the squadron. Promoted to Acting Squadron Leader, Armitage took command of 129 Squadron on 20th June 1941, then forming with Spitfires at Leconfield.
Memorials:
Stone Cairn at site and CWGC Headstone.
Sources:
www.nationalarchives/air//.gov.uk
www.rafcommands.com
www.ystradgynlais-history.com
www.iwm.org.uk
www.aircrewremembered.com
www.airhistory.org
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-May-2022 19:16 | Davies 62 | Added |
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